Istat, the government statistical office, says that 204, 000 jobs were lost in the first quarter of 2009.

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The official statisticians of Istat put last year's overall inflation at 2.8%, with the price of food up 3.2%.

ECONOMIST: Italians don't know, but they blame the euro

Italy's economy shrank by 2.6% compared with a year earlier, compared with the previous estimate of 2.5%, the national statistics institute Istat said.

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Among the 10 "wise men" are Enrico Giovannini, head of Italy's Istat statistics agency, European Affairs Minister Enzo Moavero Milanesi, Bank of Italy deputy director Salvatore Rossi and Valerio Onida, a former judge on the country's constitutional court.

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Istat is threatening to sue.

ECONOMIST: Italians don't know, but they blame the euro